As fans of daytime watch the drama play out on their televisions each weekday, it's sometimes easy to forget the unsung heroes of the genre. No, it's not the behind-the-scenes technical crews. While they don't often get the attention they deserve, they do get the chance to earn Daytime Emmys for their work. These unsung heroes are the seemingly unheralded day players -- the bartenders, the ministers, the dancers in the background of the club scenes, the hospital orderlies, the police officers, and the list goes on.
There's no single way that all of these actors and actresses land their roles. For scenes requiring dancers, for example, a soap may reach out to a dance school to get its extras. Speaking parts usually require a somewhat-extensive casting process. Some actors are hand-picked for roles, while others have to go through a casting call that may include up to a hundred other performers vying for the same role. Others have even been lucky enough to win their roles in reality show competitions.
Recently, Soap Central had the opportunity to sit down and chat with two actors who had the chance to play police officers on the soaps. Both actors had different experiences in how they made it to television sets across the country, but both have stories that are sure to appeal to die-hard and casual soap fans alike - as well as aspiring actors who may be hoping to appear in an episode on their favorite soap.
For Damien Colletti, his appearance as a Philadelphia policeman on As the World Turns wasn't really a far-fetched idea. The actor is based just outside of Philadelphia and has had a chance to "study" real-life Philly cops just by watching the news. Colletti assures us that he didn't attempt any illegal activities to get a truly first-hand look at police in action. No amount of studying, however, could have prepared him for the audition process.
One day in September, As the World Turns held open auditions at a suburban Philadelphia mall. An open casting call meant that anyone could show up -- even those with no previous acting experience. Colletti, who admits that he is "kinda new to soaps" learned of the auditions from his aunt, who'd learned about them from an on-air announcement.
"I believe there were 460 actors who auditioned. So yeah, there were a lot of people," Colletti says with a laugh. "I was there for about five hours before I finally got to meet with and audition for [As the World Turns] casting director, Mary Clay Boland."
Michael Emery, meanwhile, landed his upcoming role on One Life to Live in an entirely different fashion.
"I learned about the auditions through an intensive workshop with OLTL Associate Casting Director, Tori Visgilio," Emery explains. "The workshop was three weeks and we covered everything imaginable. Tori is such an amazing person who knows all the ins and outs of the soap world, and I was thankful she was willing to share them. It's a rare opportunity to learn from someone so experienced in the business."
With much ado being made about movie star A-lister James Franco's first appearance on General Hospital this week, Colletti confirms that filming a soap is much different than doing movies. The actor has about a dozen movie credits under his belt. Ironically, his most recent feature film role was as a Philadelphia police officer in the Jamie Foxx-Gerard Butler film, Law Abiding Citizen.
"It's a little different style and quicker pace than film, which is what I'm used to," Colletti explains. "But, I'm definitely comfortable working on soaps and could easily get use to it!"
It wasn't until he received his script that Colletti learned that he'd be closer to the stars than he could ever have imagined -- the stars in the sky, not the soap stars. Colletti was involved in a high-rise action sequence atop Philadelphia's City Hall, where his character arrested a bank robber who was dressed up like Ben Franklin. Exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of As the World Turns' on-location shoot in Philadelphia -- including a look at Colletti's work -- is available only on Soap Central.
Emery's appearance in Llanview may not have been several hundred feet in the air, but that certainly didn't mean that his appearance wasn't awash in high-stakes drama.
"Filming this episode was unlike any other I had been a part of. It was very hands-on and critical to the storyline," Emery teases. "I wanted to make sure I did the best job I possibly could. I went into the filming not really sure what to expect because every set can have a completely different atmosphere than the last. My experience filming with OLTL turned out to be the most challenging and memorable so far."
Emery is already on to his next soap opera gigs. Next week, he'll tape scenes on both All My Children and As the World Turns.
Colletti will refocus on film when he begins production on the film, Revenge of the Panda Syndicate, in which he'll have the starring role.
If you've ever thought about becoming a soap star, there are classes and even a new DVD that can help you on your journey.
Actors Connection, based in New York City, offers several intensive classes that can give aspiring actors and actresses an inside look at what it takes to succeed in daytime television. The Actors Connection recently held two classes geared towards getting work in the soap world: the "soap intensive" class with All My Children Associative Casting Director Bob Lambert and the three-class "How to Book Daytime TV" with As the World Turns' Kate Martineau. Upcoming classes feature Tori Visgilio, who cast Emery on One Life to Live.
Why is it so hard to get represented by a talent agent? More than that, once you get an agent, how do you get them to keep calling you back for auditions? Tony Nation, President/Partner of Actors Connection, New York City's largest educational and networking studio for professional actors, reveals these secrets and more in a brand new DVD seminar available on Amazon.com called How to Get & Keep An Agent. The video was directed and edited by actor-turned-filmmaker Michael Stever.
With some hard work and maybe a little bit of luck, you could one day be reading about your big break right here on Soap Central.
Photo: Damien Colletti
RELATED STORYLearn more about or order How to Get & Keep An Agent.
RELATED STORYVisit the Actors Connection web site.
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